Jigawa Appoints 2,020 Secondary School Teachers

The Jigawa State Government has expanded its secondary-school teaching workforce by formally appointing 2,020 teachers, the Premium Times reported. The appointments comprise 1,100 teachers recruited on permanent and pensionable terms and 920 engaged through the J-Teach programme. Governor Umar Namadi presented appointment letters at the Government House banquet hall in Dutse.

Namadi said the recruitment was intended to address shortages of qualified teachers and improve pupil-teacher and student-teacher ratios across the state. He said particular attention would be given to underserved rural communities, where staffing gaps were described as most acute. The governor said the appointments followed earlier education measures, including the provision of uniforms, bags and writing materials to thousands of learners.

He argued that investment in classrooms, furniture, instructional materials, technology and school governance needed to be matched by enough qualified and motivated teachers. Namadi also promised induction, mentoring, supervision and fair performance assessment for the new appointees. He said teacher development would include continuous training, retraining, improved teaching methods and professional development through the Teacher Development Agency.

The governor described the recruitment as part of a broader expansion since his administration began. He said the J-Teach pathway had brought 7,500 personnel into basic education since 2023, with 3,000 later converted to permanent and pensionable appointments following training and competitive selection. At the post-basic level, he said nearly 2,000 personnel had entered through the same programme and 1,000 later secured permanent status.

More than 2,100 graduate teachers had also been deployed, alongside about 600 teaching and non-teaching staff for mega schools and other boarding senior secondary schools. Namadi urged the new teachers to demonstrate professionalism, discipline and commitment to learners. He also commended Guaranty Trust Bank for donating 450 bicycles to pupils and students who travel long distances to schools in hard-to-reach communities.